Irradiated autologous T cells restore the in vitro responsiveness of PWM-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes from splenectomized individuals.

The in vitro immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion of pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from individuals splenectomized post-trauma was monitored with a protein A plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay. Cultures of unfractionated as well as reconstituted cultures of isolated erythrocyte rosette-forming (E-RFC)-positive (T lymphocytes) and E-RFC-negative (B lymphocytes) cells were established. Using unfractionated cells, the response was substantially reduced or absent, whereas cultures of autologous untreated B and 2000 rads irradiated T cells restored the response to normal levels. Normal T cells were not able to stimulate patients' B cells to Ig-secretion and patients' untreated T cells did not induce plaque formation in normal B cells, whereas irradiated patients' T cells induced development of approximately 50% of the response induced by normal irradiated T cells. These results indicate that the immunological defect in splenectomized individuals is not merely restricted to a high level of radiosensitive T cell suppression but also involves an impaired B cell function and T/B cell cooperation.